Let's go.........RANDOM!

The place to hang out and talk about totally anything general.
User avatar
NeatNit
level5
level5
Posts: 2929
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:41 pm
Location: Israel
Contact:

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby NeatNit » Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:40 pm

I can't get anywhere in life because I couldn't bring myself to study bible, literature, history, or civics. Nevermind that I was brilliant at math and the best programmer in my high school's robotics team ever. Fuck the system.

(I do intend to fix that, but I've got two years of military service before I can even begin to think about it. Also, I'm finally getting tested for ADD and the like, something that I should have done a long time ago.)
User avatar
xander
level5
level5
Posts: 16869
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:41 pm
Location: Highland, CA, USA
Contact:

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby xander » Fri Oct 11, 2013 8:08 pm

Xocrates wrote:I don't know about the UK or US, but I'm not allowed to pick any of the courses I'm taking during the bachelors degree, only on the masters.

That is insane. In most US institutions, a bachelor's degree requires about 120 credit hours (or equivalent---I reference the number just to give some idea about how things compare to each other). Classes generally break down into "Required General Education Classes," "Elective General Education Classes," and "Major Classes." Addressing these in reverse order:
  • Most majors require approximately 40-50 credit hours, at least half of which must be at the 300 or 400 level (upper division classes---i.e. courses taken during the last year or two of school). In mathematics at UNR, for instance, this generally includes three semesters of calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, two semesters of introductory real analysis, proofs and logic, mathematical modeling, and five or six upper division electives which can be used to specialize a little (electives might include courses in topics such as topology, abstract algebra, partial differential equations, graph theory, statistics, and so on).
  • Most programs at most universities have general requirements that may be fulfilled by one of many courses. At UNR, this generally includes (but can vary a bit from program to program) two or three natural science classes (chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, geology, and so on), a social science class (sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics), a fine arts class (music theory, drawing, sculpture, theater), a "diversity" class (these are really varied, and include certain classes in [insert name of country or minority group here] studies (e.g. women's studies, German studies), anthropology, sociology, history, and so on), and a "capstone" class outside of your own department (a class taken during your last year which is meant to go into depth in a field that is not your own). These generally account for another 50-60 credit hours.
  • Finally, most universities have a core curriculum of required classes. These generally add up to less than 30 credit hours, and include a one or two semester sequence in English (i.e. how to write research paper), some basic mathematics (either precalculus or college algebra), a foreign language (some programs substitute two semesters of introductory computer science for the language requirement), and a common humanities requirement (generally 6-9 semesters of world, European, and US history, literature, and arts). Many of these classes can be tested out of and need not be taken at the university.
There are very few courses that are strictly prescribed, and students have a lot of options across both the general education requirements and the requirements of their majors.

xander
jois13
level2
level2
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed Jun 05, 2013 4:55 pm

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby jois13 » Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:03 pm

I LIKE PIES......BEAT THAT GUYS
Joe
:D i like blue...its nice....ohhhh IM USING IT NOW :0
User avatar
Xocrates
level5
level5
Posts: 5262
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:34 pm

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby Xocrates » Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:19 pm

Yeah, here they just give you a list of the courses you have to take, and the semester you're supposed to take them. You graduate once you pass all of them.

On the master, you pick a "branch" that also has a number of preset courses following a similar structure, but they allow you to pick a (literal) couple of optional courses out of a pool.

The scope is narrower than you guys though, my degree only has generic engineering courses (maths and physics, though some degrees also include a chemistry course here) and computer science courses. Though they cover pretty much the entire field, which is part of the problem (tellingly, the degree was restructured this year, and some courses I had to take were removed altogether and/or replaced with completely different stuff - but I still get credit as if I did them on account of doing the old courses).
User avatar
xander
level5
level5
Posts: 16869
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:41 pm
Location: Highland, CA, USA
Contact:

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby xander » Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:47 pm

Xocrates wrote:...some courses I had to take were removed altogether and/or replaced with completely different stuff - but I still get credit as if I did them on account of doing the old courses).

Yeah, that happens here, too. Universities issue a catalog every year, which describes the academic programs and the courses. The requirements that you must fulfill are generally tied to the catalog issued in the year in which you first matriculate.

xander
User avatar
NeatNit
level5
level5
Posts: 2929
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:41 pm
Location: Israel
Contact:

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby NeatNit » Fri Oct 11, 2013 10:54 pm

I think I've posted this before, but just in case I didn't...
User avatar
Cooper42
level4
level4
Posts: 810
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:04 pm

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby Cooper42 » Sat Oct 12, 2013 1:22 am

The freedom to chose modules varies wildly from course to course (and uni to uni) in the UK.

Many courses set a core of required modules. Then there will be a number of modules within the department that can be chosen from. Finally there may be some 'free choice' modules that can be taken from absolutely any other department.

In my department this comes out at about 80% required and 20% free choice in the first year. By the final third year this changes to 40% required, 50% selected from within the department and 10% from any department. In many courses the final year is made from very short modules often taught by a single member of staff to a small number of students.

This does vary though. I know architecture is entirely made from required modules, with no choice whatsoever (probably because it is an acredited vocational course) and the Mathematics & Physics departments reduce how much free choice students have because they like to think their subjects are really, really difficult...
User avatar
Laika
Site Admin
Posts: 1514
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 7:16 pm
Location: Moscow

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby Laika » Mon Oct 14, 2013 5:02 pm

Don't go to the introversion store.
User avatar
Colytic
Site Admin
Posts: 838
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 3:24 pm
Location: UK

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby Colytic » Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:00 pm

My father once recounted the time he met a Russian wearing a T-shirt with the text, 'I have been to Moscow. There are no bears.' For some reason he could never quite establish, the Russians found this absurdly funny.

Colytic
User avatar
bert_the_turtle
level5
level5
Posts: 4795
Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:11 pm
Location: Cologne
Contact:

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby bert_the_turtle » Mon Oct 21, 2013 11:29 am

G-Sync! G-Sync! G-Sync! G-Sync! G-Sync! G-Sync!

Finally. I have been waiting forever for someone in the right position to notice that fixed refresh rates are a relic of the CRT era. Shame I just got a new monitor. Also shame it is NVidia specific for now. Hope something like it makes it into some next video standard.
User avatar
NeatNit
level5
level5
Posts: 2929
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:41 pm
Location: Israel
Contact:

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby NeatNit » Mon Oct 21, 2013 5:33 pm

bert_the_turtle wrote:G-Sync! G-Sync! G-Sync! G-Sync! G-Sync! G-Sync!

Finally. I have been waiting forever for someone in the right position to notice that fixed refresh rates are a relic of the CRT era. Shame I just got a new monitor. Also shame it is NVidia specific for now. Hope something like it makes it into some next video standard.

:shock:
User avatar
xander
level5
level5
Posts: 16869
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:41 pm
Location: Highland, CA, USA
Contact:

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby xander » Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:35 pm

In case anyone is wondering, this is happening about a mile an a half from where I live. I'm still waiting to find out who the victims are---I have friends who teach at that school, and former students who go there. :(

xander
Jackdapantyrip
level4
level4
Posts: 752
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:33 am

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby Jackdapantyrip » Tue Oct 22, 2013 4:09 am

xander wrote:In case anyone is wondering, this is happening about a mile an a half from where I live. I'm still waiting to find out who the victims are---I have friends who teach at that school, and former students who go there. :(

xander


Any updates? I saw it was a math teacher. This is why all teachers should take their students on field trips to the bunny ranch.. Sparks joke..
User avatar
xander
level5
level5
Posts: 16869
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:41 pm
Location: Highland, CA, USA
Contact:

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby xander » Tue Oct 22, 2013 3:51 pm

It was a math teacher---I didn't know him well, but I met him once or twice when I was substituting at Sparks. We still don't know who the kids are (one dead (ostensibly the shooter) and two in the hospital (both doing well)).

xander
User avatar
Feud
level5
level5
Posts: 5149
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:40 pm
Location: Blackacre, VA

Re: Let's go.........RANDOM!

Postby Feud » Tue Oct 22, 2013 4:02 pm

Awful situation, hope those who are injured pull through quickly and fully.

Return to “Introversion Lounge”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests